“Fabio and Maria Trabocchi’s Del Mar Now Open at the District Wharf”

“James Beard Award-winning chef Fabio Trabocchi and Maria Trabocchi–the DC-based husband-wife restaurateurs behind critically acclaimed restaurants Fiola, Casa Luca, Fiola Mare, and Sfoglina –are pleased to announce the soft opening of Del Mar, their Spanish seafood restaurant, at 791 Wharf Street SW in Washington, DC’s District Wharf. Now through October 31st, all food at Del Mar will be discounted 10% as Del Mar opens its doors to the neighborhood and the city at large.

Del Mar is a celebration of Maria, her Spanish heritage, and the Trabocchi family’s traditions created and preserved at their home on the island of Mallorca.

“Nothing makes me happier than sharing our culture of great Spanish food and lifestyle through Del Mar – from my family to yours, in a vibrant modern setting that resembles our way of life,” says Maria Trabocchi.

The restaurant occupies 11,900 square feet over two floors, with 240 interior seats, including its bars. The restaurant features an additional 1,900 square feet of exterior space, including: the second floor Terraza, providing seating for 40 under its pergola; the Yacht Club Piazza on Sutton Square, providing seating for 50; and a waterside Cabana, with seating for 30. Both outdoor spaces will open in Spring 2018.

Del Mar Privè is located on the second floor and features five unique private dining spaces, as well its own kitchen, and a dedicated bar and wine cellar, offering venues for private entertaining for 8 to 120 guests.

Del Mar offers a variety of paellas – cooked on its custom paella stove – made with Bomba rice, changing seasonally and available in several sizes, including the classic Del Mar Paella de Pescado y Mariscos, featuring Maine lobster, wild calamari, and PEI mussels; and the Paella de Pato, Alcachofas and Sobrasada, with duck, artichokes, and Mallorcan sobrasada. All paellas are served with garlic alioli.

For lunch, Del Mar will feature a three-course “Maria Menu” inspired by the Mediterranean Diet, as well as entrees such as the Bocata de Calamares, a burger of chorizo Iberico with crispy calamari and piparras alioli on a squid ink brioche bun.

For lunch and dinner, traditional plated entrées include Lubina con Setas y Algas, a Spanish branzino gently poached in a mushroom broth with saffron and seaweed; and Secreto Iberico “Mar y Montaña”, a butcher’s cut of Iberico pork grilled over charcoal and served with langoustine tail, cider, and barrel-aged Jerez.

The menu offers a changing selection of local and imported European whole fish served Simply Grilled, and filleted tableside, items from the imported Josper charcoal oven, and large format options for sharing inspired by Maria’s family’s favorite dishes. Family style dishes include the Dorada a la Sal, a whole dorade baked in a salt crust; the Chuleton de Buey, a 36 oz bone in dry aged beef rib eye, served with Aragon olives, rosemary salt, and espelette oil; and the Mallorcan classic Cazuela de Bogovante, a lobster and potato stew.

The dessert menu offers whimsical takes on Spanish classics, including: Tarta Santiago, a moist almond cake layered with lemon marmalade, crispy wafer, and almond turrón mousse, served with a huckleberry-chestnut confit and a cuajada cheese espuma; Flan de Maria, a vanilla and maple syrup custard with blood orange, served with basil meringues and a blood orange marmalade; and Torrijas con Manzana, caramelized brioche with honeycrisp apples, apple puree, and cider sauce. Warm Churros, are served rolled in cinnamon sugar and stuffed with nocilla, or chocolate-hazelnut filling.

Del Mar’s cocktail program is based on classic cocktail culture with a Spanish influence. The offerings include a selection of seven Signature Cocktails, four Gin Tonics, Sangria, three Mocktails, two Spanish bottled beers, and a domestic IPA. The bar also features a housemade Patxaran, the traditional Basque digestif, and a full spirits list with selections of Spanish Gin, Rum, Whiskey, Brandy, and Hierbas.

The wine program is focused on the major wine regions of Spain, with notable selections from France and the United States, as well as outstanding and lesser known island wines of Spain both by the glass and by the bottle, including producers from Mallorca and the Canary Islands. The opening wine list comprises 400 bottles ranging in price from $40 to $2,000. The By the Glass list includes two Sherry, three sparkling, one rosè, six whites, and six reds.

Interior Design

The restaurant interior, conceived by award winning Barcelona based interior designer Lazaro Rosa Violan, is based on reproducing the light, color, and ambiance of the Mediterranean. The design goals are expressed in the furniture details, materials, art objects and ceramics, and lighting, which convey a sense of natural elegance in which guests will feel at home. A team of master craftsmen from Galicia dispatched by Spanish interior contract firm Martinez Otero spent 10 weeks on the site to complete the installation of all millwork, furnishings, design objects, and fixtures that were produced in Spain.
Del Mar